Gunung Induk (ˈɡu.nuŋ ˈin.duk)

"They hold the coastline; we hold the highlands. We must be sharp, as sharp as knives."

— Tzakrēl Yajnametzi

Gunung Induk is the highest point on Bulau, a part of the high mountain range in the island's central region. Its name means "Mother Mountain" in Bahasa, and the Phaṇin believe that it was the first and oldest of Bulau's mountains. For centuries, Gunung Induk has been held by the flying Jatayu, who have long been at war with the Karajans of Bulau. They came to Bulau in defense of their goddess Rangdayan, who they claim has been poisoned and warped by the fears and nightmares forced upon her by the Phaṇin. While the conflict is currently centered on the nearby island of Semvhu, it has its roots upon Bulau.

The eyrie on Gunung Induk is the center of the Jatayu presence on the island. From here, Tzakrēl Yajnametzi commands all the Jatayu who have hidden themselves in the high places, and can direct their efforts against the coastal settlements. Their aim is the extinction of the Phaṇin on Bulau, as it seems the only way to prevent them from demonizing their goddess and transforming her into the monster they fear. Secretly, many of the Jatayu believe it is too late to redeem Rangdayan from their evil image of her, and continue on only to exact revenge.

Notable Spirits

When Tzakrēl Yajnametzi first led the Jatayu to the mountains of Bulau, he had certain plans in mind. As a True Mage and an Avatar of Rangdayan, he was able to divine the True Name of the god of Gunung Induk, and bound this spirit within its own mountain. Then Tzakrēl Yajnametzi began to truly go to work on the captured god.

Over centuries of patient effort, Tzakrēl Yajnametzi was able to shape the stories about the god of the mountain, wiping away the old tales and substituting ones of his own design. He emptied the god of identity, and used it instead to hold and preserve those aspects of Rangdayan most threatened by the poisonous tales of the Phaṇin. While his Jatayu kept the Phanin away from the mountains, he wrote poetry about Rangdayan the Egg-maker, the life-giver, and spread it among his people. Slowly, the balance of belief in the region shifted - few Phaṇin ever thought of the old god, while the Jatayu regularly paid homage to the mountain's new incarnation, who they called Rangdayan Kārawayah, the Mother of the Flame. Her name is carved upon obsidian slabs within secret chambers, and she sleeps within her fiery nest within the mountain, dreaming of the eggs she will lay. She is, and is not, Rangdayan, and is the shelter within which the Jatayu's mother goddess can be saved from the power of the Egregoric Force.

Geography

Gunung Induk is an active volcano near the very center of Bulau. It is part of a range of mountains that has some of the highest peaks in the Southwestern Region, and the area around the mountain is extremely difficult to travel through. From a distance, the mountain appears almost perfectly conical, although the summit is often shrouded by clouds. It has not erupted since the Jatayu took control of the mountain and the area around it, although there have been several earthquakes and there is a nearly constant pillar of smoke rising from the mountaintop. The Jatayu have constructed a temple high upon the mountainside, but it is only accessible to those who can fly.

Alternative Name(s)

Kāṣtikatzin (Kārawacan)

Type

Volcano

Location under

Bulau

Geographic Details

Location: Southwestern Region
Latitude: 22.63 degrees North
Longitude: 34.29 degrees West
Elevation: 9,944 ft

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